FTC, States Sue Deere Over Alleged Tractor-Repair Monopoly (3)

The US Federal Trade Commission and two states sued tractor giant Deere & Co. Wednesday alleging the company illegally monopolized agricultural equipment repairs.

The FTC and state attorneys general from Illinois and Minnesota filed a complaint in federal court in Chicago saying the tractor manufacturer withheld key information and diagnostic tools from farmers and independent repair shops.

Deere limits distribution of its repair tools and the information needed to diagnose problems, the FTC said in a press statement, effectively forcing farmers to use its dealerships to fix their agricultural equipment. The lawsuit seeks to force Deere to make available to ...